Thill-coupling.



No. 658,859. ,atented ont. 2, |900.

T NEAR THILL COUPLING.

(Appl t n l d A g 2 1900) KNo Model.)'

/IVVENTOR Nt'rnn STATES ATENT rrcn.

THEODORE NEAR, NEW YORK, N. Y.

`TH|LL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentA No. 658,859, dated October2, 1900.

Application iiled August 2| 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THEODORE NEAR, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in rPhill-Couplings,of which the following is a full and complete specification, such aswill enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to thill-couplings; and the object thereof is toprovide animproved device of this class which is simple in constructionand operation and by means of which the thill or thills of a vehicle maybe secured thereto so as to permit of the free action thereof and alsoto prevent the accidental disconnection of said thill or thills from thevehicle.

The invention is fully disclosed in theY following s pecication, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate partsof my improvement are designated by the same reference characters ineach of the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side. view of athill-coupling made according to my invention, one of' the axles of thevehicle being shown in section;

Fig. 2, a similar view showing a part of the thill-coupling detached;Fig. 3, a front view of the device as shown in Fig. 2; Fig..4, a rearView ofthe detachable part of a coupling,

and Fig. 5 a side view thereof with a part broken away.

In the drawings forming part of this specifloat ion l have shown at 7the front axle of a vehicle, and in the practice of my invention 1secure thereto a U-shaped clip 8, provided with a base-plate 9, which issecured to said clip by nuts 10, and the base-plate 9 is provided with aforwardly-directed extension 11, with which is integrally7 connected asupplemental forwardly-directed clip 12, composed of sides 13 and abottom 14, and the front of which is open, as shown at 15 in Fig. 3. Thetop of the supplemental clip or part 12 or the sides thereof areextended upwardly and provided with segmental bearingsl, adapted toreceive a shaft 17, and in practice a rubber packing 18 is placed in thesupplemental clip or portion 12 of the coupling. I have also shown at 19in Fig. 1 a part of one of Serial No. 25,627. lNo model.)

the thuis of the vehicle, which is connected with a metal shank 20,provided with a head 21, through which the shaft 17 passes, and in Figs.4 and 5 l have shown the detachable part of the coupling detachedtherefrom, and in Fig. 1 I have shown it in place, and this detachablepart of the coupling-consists of a clip 12a, composed of sides 22, aback23, and bottom 24, and the back and top are cut out to form arectangular space 25 and inwardlydirected top flanges 26, and the space25 is designed to receive the head 21 of the shank 2O of the thill 19,which head is shown in and 3.

The inwardly-directed side flanges at the top of the sides of thedetachable clip are shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and the rear side of saidclip is open, and in connecting it with the supplemental clip 12 of thestationary part of the coupling the said detachable part is passedbackwardly over the supplemental clip 12, as Vshown in Fig. l, andcompletely incloses the same except at the back, and the said topflanges 26 overlap the ends of shaft 17 and securely hold said shaft inthe bearings 16, and said detachable part of the coupling is held inplace by a screw 27, which is passed upwardly through the bottom thereofand into the bottom of the supplemental sta-r tionary clip 12, and saidscrew is provided at its lower end with an oblong head 28, in which isformed a slot 29, and in order to prevent the displacement or loss f thedetachable part of the coupling a belt, strap, or band 30 is passedthrough the head 28 of the screw 27, and said belt, strap, or band maybe connected with the axle and with the shank of the Lhill in anydesired manner, so as to prevent the screw 27 from turning.

By means of this construction I provide a thill-coupling which is simplein construction and operation, also strong and durable, and by means ofwhich the thill or lhills cannot be accidentally detached from thevehicles.

Having fully described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Lettersv lOO plemental clip formedintegrally With the base thereof, said supplemental clip being composedof a bottom and sides, the tops of the sides being provided withshaft-bearings, and a detachable clip composed of Sides, a back and abottom, and the sides of which are provided with top flanges which areadapted to hold a shaft placed in said bearings in position, saiddetachable clip being adapted to inclose the supplemental clip and to besecured thereto by a screw passed through the bottom thereof,substantially as shown and described.

2. Athillcoupling,comprisingaclipadapted to be secured to the axle ofthe vehicle, and provided with a forwardly-directed supplemental clipform ed integrally with the base thereof, said supplemental clip beingcomposed of a bottom and sides, the tops of the sides being providedwith shaft-bearings, and

a detachable clip composed of sides, a back and a bottom, and the sidesof which are provided With top flanges which are adapted to hold a shaftplaced in said bearings in position, said detachable clip being adaptedto inclose the supplemental clip and to be secured thereto by a screwpassed through the bottom thereof, said screw being provided with aslotted head through which is passed a strap or band, substantially asshown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 31st day of July,1900.

THEODORE NEAR.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, M. K. LOWERRE.

